Who Started First?
by TrappedBeat
Summary: Kirihara has always held feelings for Hiyoshi, but it wasn't the former that made the first move.
1. Chapter 1 - Confessing First

**Chapter One: Confessing First**

Akaya Kirihara stood at the net, unable to say anything more than: "…what…?"

He was out of breath and sweaty after winning in a match 7-5. So obviously, he was physically tired. He was pretty damn tired mentally too, having entered the State of Self-Actualization towards the end of the match. Hell, he couldn't even form sentences.

All he did was go up to the net to shake hands with his opponent. …and to gloat a bit that he had won even though it was declared earlier that he would be defeated (fat chance). But his intent had been tossed out the window. No, correction. It was completely topped and stomped down upon.

What was the phrase that his opponent liked so much? Something about defeating someone above you… _Gekokujou_? Yeah, his intent had been subjected to _gekokujou_.

Wakashi Hiyoshi was just as exhausted, but he controlled his labored breathing, enough to speak properly. He could feel his sweat drops rolling down the side of his head and forehead, which made him more uncomfortable than he already was. It took whatever willpower he had leftover to confess earlier. He wasn't even sure if he had any more to repeat himself.

"A date…" He could barely speak as firmly as he had before since Kirihara decided to act clueless and had to take a few moments to regain his breath. "I'm asking _you_ out on a _date_."

"Yeah, yeah… I got that…" Kirihara responded airily. But then he started doubting himself again and shook his head. "No… wait, what?"

In his hand, Hiyoshi still clutched his racket, and in his pocket, there was an unused tennis ball. It could be used to smash the curly-haired male's face in if he would just think before speaking. His apparent deafness was damn annoying and made Hiyoshi's confidence crumble.

Instead of following through with his plan, Hiyoshi began to turn away. "Forget it. I'm going home."

"Hey… hey, wait! Hiyoshi!" Kirihara called after him as he struggled to get a foot over the net. He could move from one side of the court to the other with the use of his split step, but his technique was no help to him here when he _needed_ to catch up to Hiyoshi. "I was listening!"

Relieved that the brunet stopped and spared him a glance, Kirihara took that as a chance to catch up. After managing to put one foot in front of the over and earning passage over the net, he jogged over to Hiyoshi despite his sore muscles. This was something important, and he pretty much fucked up by acting stupid. It wasn't entirely his fault, but he knew he should have responded better. He didn't know when he would get another chance.

"Akaya…" Hiyoshi couldn't look him in the eye.

Kirihara swore he could see Hiyoshi blushing. Well… he did refer to him by first name.

It was a funny arrangement they had. Kirihara always called him Hiyoshi, never Wakashi, even though they got pretty close lately. Or at least, that was what the former thought. Actually, Kirihara only ever heard him called Hiyoshi by his teammates during tournaments, which was where they often ran into each other, but wasn't he close to his teammates? Wouldn't they start calling each other by first name like _Rikkai_? Maybe that was why _Hyoutei_ could only get so far in tennis; they weren't a true team.

But anyway, he was quite used to calling him by last name because that's all he knew of the Enbu tennis player along with his distinct mushroom-shaped hair (Kirihara couldn't resist). He was never called Akaya by Hiyoshi before. Formalities, intimacy, and all that shit, right?

To be honest, hearing Hiyoshi actually call him Akaya drew a small blush on his cheeks as well. Hopefully, mushroom head didn't see. "Uh, yeah?"

Hiyoshi clicked his tongue and shot him an irritated look. "Kirihara."

"What?"

He let out a groan. This was fucking ridiculous.

"No, seriously, what?"

"Idiot…" Hiyoshi let out a sigh, shutting his eyes for the moment. He seemed to have calmed down before opening his eyes and speaking again, "What do you say? Yes or no? Date or no?" He muttered under his breath, "Got it through your thick skull yet?"

"Right…" A lump decided to conveniently form in the curly-haired male's throat. Since when did he feel nervous? He didn't feel this when he went up again the Three Demons, and he'd rather be facing them again than to answer Hiyoshi's … request for lack of a better word.

He just had to say a single word, and he already knew the answer. So what was it that he was hesitant about? Kirihara felt the nervousness grow more and more, his heart pounding hard in his chest. Maybe this was what he never imagined, Hiyoshi being the one to confess. His mind was not prepared at all.

"Yes," Kirihara - after what seemed like an hours later - responded; his gulp audibly swallowed down. He tried to smile for the both of them, hoping to play it cool but failing. He didn't want Hiyoshi to think this was a mistake. "You could have timed it better though."

Hiyoshi rolled his eyes and responded with a light punch to the arm. "Do it yourself next time." His deadpan tone did not match the relief that could only be detected in his gray eyes. "Meet here at six on Friday?"

Kirihara nodded his head quickly, already excited for Friday. "Perfect."

They departed in opposite direction after that.

Kirihara couldn't believe what had happened. Falling into the fast pace of a tennis match was one thing; getting asked out on a date by Hiyoshi and following through with it was a whole other.

He glanced back at the retreating figure before he face forward again and allowed his emotions to overtake his expressions. His cheeks colored redder than ever that he was violently shaking.

He truly did not expect Hiyoshi to ask him out; he didn't even know Hiyoshi liked him.

Kirihara wanted to confess first, but Hiyoshi got to him instead. The mushroom head had outdone him.

In the words of his date: " _Gekokujou_."

 _ **Edits: Thank you, Nathie-chan for correcting me on Hiyoshi's full name. I fixed it in this chapter to avoid any confusion but the content is more or less the same, except for the expanded thought portion for Kirihara on names since Rikkai tennis regulars refer to each other by first name as opposed to Hyoutei.**_

 _Author's Note: Apparently, a brunet refers to a male with brown hair and brunette is for female. Learned something new right there._

 _I'm not sure if I should continue this or not, even though I have the second chapter partially started. It's been a good while since I've written anything and I'm actually in the process of re-writing_ _Understanding What It Means to Love_ _._

 _But anyway, thank you for taking the time to read. I appreciate it!_


	2. Chapter 2 - Getting Advice First

_Author's Note: I forgot to mention that this is set in high school. All the third-years in middle school are now second-years, and all the second-years in middle school are now first-years. I'm… not that comfortable writing them in middle school partly because there may or may not be sexual implications in the future._

 _And yes, haphazard updating is a thing with me. Later on, the chapters will get longer. Next one will be the actual date.  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Getting Advice First**

"Renji…! Renji!"

The data master didn't look up from his book but did stop walking as his kouhai dashed over to him, his feet noisily stomping against the tiles. As the secretary of Rikkai, he should chastise Akaya for causing a ruckus. Each footstep - to put it lightly - echoed through the halls. Class had ended exactly 10 minutes ago, so the halls were more or less empty, save for a few students (he counted three so far).

But he knew what it meant for Akaya to disregard public peace. 100%, Akaya had something important to tell him.

"What is it, Akaya?"

"Have you ever been on a date?"

Although Rikkai were well-known for its close-knit tennis team considering how everyone refers to each other by first name with the exception of The Gentlemen Yagyuu, Renji believed their closeness should not extend outside of tennis.

However, being the analytic and observant one, this is untrue. He couldn't help but see what was in front of him as much as he didn't want to. For example, he did not need to know Niou's and Yagyuu's escapades in the locker room when they thought everyone had gone home. But he knew.

It never helped his case when he offered advice from time to time since he seemed so reliable, and he did have a soft spot for Akaya, knowing full well of his potential and what could hinder or bolster it.

But dating…?

"Yes, but-"

"How'd it go?"

Renji actually had to think about that for a moment. His love for tennis and data stifled his social interactions even though he had received the occasional love letter. Not many girls met to even 50% of his ideal type, so he had more experience in rejecting a female's advances rather than accepting them. The first date he went on was also his last. He didn't know she wasn't a fan of literature houses even though she desperately wanted him to give her a chance and allowed him to choose the location. Admittedly, girls confused him and the data.

"It never went as planned."

"Oh, that's too bad." Akaya awkwardly shuffled his feet. "Do you think you can help me anyway?"

Well, Akaya obviously didn't approach him to talk about Renji's lack of romance in his life.

"You should consider that everyone has had different experiences."

"Gotcha." His green eyes lit up with hope though, and that worried Renji even more. "Sooo… how'd your first date go?"

Renji felt the exhaustion already settling in.

* * *

"Hiyoshi's head has been in the clouds all day," Gakuto remarked with a huff, keeping a low voice for only him and his doubles partner to hear.

Oshitari followed the redhead's gaze until Hiyoshi came into his line of sight. "Odd…" The black-haired male pushed up his glasses and inspected the first-year further. "He wasn't faring very well in practice, so I'm going to have to agree with you for once."

Scoffing at his remark, Gakuto asked incredulously, "What are you getting at? I'm always right."

Oshitari simply shrugged.

That was always an annoying quality about him. One thing Gakuto learned from almost exclusively playing doubles was how he can read his partners. It came in handy outside of tennis. For example, sensing that Hiyoshi was being absent-minded was entertainment he couldn't afford to pass up.

"What's he asking Ootori?"

"I may be considered a tensei, but I'm no lip reader."

"Then let's get closer." Gakuto grabbed his tennis partner and dragged him over to where they could remain hidden but within earshot.

"What's wrong, Wakashi-kun?" Choutarou looked down at his childhood friend with a quizzical expression. "You look distressed."

The worry was evident in Choutarou from his eyes to his posture, and Hiyoshi was beginning to regret going to him for advice. But he really needed some advice.

"I have a date on Friday…" He spoke much lower than a typical whisper, eyes casted down. This was beyond humiliating.

Choutarou leaned forward. "What was that?"

His teeth ground together because Hiyoshi really did not want to repeat himself. He darted his head back and forth, making sure no one was listening. As far as he could tell, Shishido was checking something on his phone and his captain was in his office with Kabaji. The others… they had to have gone home by now, or so the male hoped.

Quickly, he pulled Choutarou closer to him by the collar so he wouldn't have to speak louder. "A date. I have a date on Friday. I don't know where to go."

'Uh oh…'

At this moment, Ootori's mind chose to go blank. He stared at Hiyoshi, barely able to follow all of the words that rapidly came out of his friend's mouth. There was never a moment where he would refuse to help, except for this. Dating? No, no, no, this was way out of his comfort zone. The topic of whatever happened between two people romantically involved with each other was not something he enjoyed talking about; he couldn't even say the four-letter word that would sum this whole matter up in.

"Uh… why don't you ask where she wants to go?" Really, this was all Ootori could give him.

Hiyoshi paused. The silence was starting to scare Ootori, and his back was cramping from his bent over position. Maybe his advice wasn't the help he needed?

"I'm no expert, Wakashi-kun. I'm sorry." This was a lame enough excuse for Shishido-san to say so. Ootori had to think of something better, partly because he didn't want to talk about dating or anything. Instead, he thought of someone else who probably knew better.

"Why don't you ask Atobe-san?"


	3. Chapter 3 - First Date

**Chapter Three: First Date**

"Dammit… Ayane made me forget my gloves and my scarf…" Kirihara grumbled while he vigorously rubbed his hands together and blew fleeting hot breath over them.

If his older sister wasn't so nosy, he would be a lot more comfortable (warmer, definitely warmer) at home than waiting out in the cold. Sitting on a cold bench with his back pressed against an equally cold wall and waiting as winter snow slowly fell around him wasn't Kirihara's intention. He had actually arrived 20 minutes early. Ayane was unbearable to hang around. She just wouldn't let it go. How hard was it to imagine him dating anyone?

Actually… now that Kirihara thought about it; he wasn't sure if people could imagine him dating. He was dating a guy too. Did that make him gay? He had no idea of how to go about with it. If it wasn't for how nervous he was, he would have confided in Renji, but that would have given the data master an excuse to follow him around for the sake of "research."

He tilted his head back, staring up to the sky, and exhaled deeply, watching his breath form in the chilly air. It was only Hiyoshi he liked, simple as that. Kirihara didn't want to complicate things in his head; Renji stressed that to him too. Just getting through this first date was a nerve-wrecking but a crucial step.

Still. Kirihara never expected Hiyoshi to share the same feelings as him. The reality of it hadn't sunken in yet.

"Kirihara-kun… Kirihara-kun…!"

"Hm…?" Something was shaking him, and it was still freezing as hell. Lethargically, Kirihara raised an arm to get the shaking to stop. "Wha…?"

When the shaking wouldn't quit, he cracked open his eyes and found Hiyoshi in front of him.

How long had he been sleeping? Or rather, when did he fall asleep?

Kirihara barely registered the hand that Hiyoshi had rested on his shoulder. It withdrew swiftly when he had just got a look at it. So that was what woke him up… along with the worry in Hiyoshi's tone. Seriously, he never thought the guy could sound anything but flat.

"How long have you been waiting here?"

He was slow to reply and took to rubbing his freezing hands together. Somehow, the thought of explaining why he was early felt… stupid. What was it that Renji told him?

"You don't have to always be straightforward, Akaya." The data master spoke matter-of-factly.

 _"What is that supposed to mean?" Well, Kirihara had an idea of what his senpai meant._

 _Renji let out a soft sigh. "How honest do you want me to be?"_

 _"…75 is good…" He responded with a sheepish smile. However, his decision immediately changed. This was for Hiyoshi, dammit. "No! 100%. Seriously, a hundred!"_

 _There was a faint smirk of approval on his_ senpai _'s lips. So maybe Kirihara said something right for once. "You have a tendency to blurt out what's on your mind without giving it much thought. It has its advantages and disadvantages, but I would advise you to tone it down."_

 _Kirihara wrinkled his nose at the thought. Nope, it really wasn't appealing advice because what happens if he became boring?_

 _"Just think before you speak, Akaya. That's what I'm saying."_

Half-heartedly shrugging, Kirihara replied with a casual "not long."

"Mm." Hiyoshi shook his head when he seemed to have something more to say but decided against it.

Neither of them spoke soon after. It felt as though they were holding back their breaths. The silence only intensified.

"Sooooo… where are we going?" Kirihara finally spoke. Damn, this was getting awkward. "Hopefully somewhere inside? It's cold, you know?"

Hiyoshi gave him a snort. "Obviously."

"I'm freezing, dammit."

The complaint was more directed to himself. Kirihara still kicked himself for not grabbing some gloves or rather anything that could keep him warm besides a sweater. Oh, and " _nee-chan_ " definitely was to blame; he didn't forget that.

Suddenly, a scarf was shoved into his face. Kirihara jolted back, eyes wide. _'The fuck?'_

"Here." Hiyoshi shook the knitted fabric in his face. When there was no movement to take it, the scarf was shoved into Kirihara's freezing hands.

There was no protesting now, but scarves weren't exactly for his hands, for Hiyoshi-kun's information. Though, he wasn't going to say that out loud. His fingers curled over the warmth. Did he mention how soft it was?

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the other male's head turning away. It was like last time. The Hyoutei tennis regular really had a habit of turning away when embarrassed.

It was… cute.

"Put it on already." He got up and took a couple steps away, not looking back. Eventually, Hiyoshi spared him a look. His expression had softened somewhat. "It's a café we're going to, Kirihara."

"Right!" The curly-haired teen swiftly wrapped the scarf around his neck and followed after him.

In the back of his mind, he wondered if he had warmed up quickly because of how flustered he felt or because of Hiyoshi's lingering warmth.

* * *

 _"Atobe-san," Hiyoshi begrudgingly spoke after asking if his captain was available for a private matter (Kabaji had cleared out of the room at this point), "I know you're popular among girls and all, but have you taken any out on a date?"_

 _There was that irritating smirk of Atobe's, only he could pull off. That ass…_

 _"You've made the right choice coming to me, but I'm a little disappointed though. Someone like Ootari would not be my first choice." Atobe added to the disapproval with the wag of his finger and then turning it to himself. "Ore-sama is who you should be going to, ahn~"_

 _He disregarded the urge to roll his eyes; it wasn't worth it. Choutarou was his childhood friend, so of course, Hiyoshi would go to him, regardless of helpfulness. To be honest, who would Atobe's first choice be? Probably his reflection._

 _But Hiyoshi had dealt with Atobe's ego for years now. He could look passed that. With how many love letters his senior would receive daily and how he could get girls to flock to him with the snap of his fingers, there had to be something appealing about the self-proclaimed king, right? Something besides his money, tennis skills, and physical appearance, he hoped._

 _"I'm here now." He managed to say without much bite. "I have a date. Where would you go for a date?"_

 _"Simple. Take her out on a yacht."_

'Like hell it was.'

 _Instead of speaking his mind, Hiyoshi shook his head._

 _"Oh right, you can't afford that."_

 _His resolve to defeat this ass of a king only grew stronger. It will be_ gekokujou _, dammit._

 _"Forget it, Atobe-san. We'll just go to a café."_

 _"In all seriousness though, Hiyoshi-kun," Atobe began to say._

 _The teen really hoped this was worth listening to._

 _"You should learn to be like me. Well, not exactly like me because no one can, but be expressive." Atobe faulted his smirk that he so fondly enjoyed throwing out there._

 _"My insight tells me that you don't know how to. A café is where conversation happens. Can you manage that?"_

 _He frowned slightly at what Atobe meant. Within the obvious implications of narcissism, there was something about his words that rang true._

 _"I suggest you don't keep all of your thoughts to yourself."_

That still bothered Hiyoshi to no end. He had actually spent most of the evening trying to grasp what exactly Atobe meant. Seriously, why did Atobe like to speak in riddles? How could that make him feel superior?

He exhaled sharply. If it wasn't for his martial arts training, he would be more tense just from thinking about his tennis captain.

"…you okay?"

"Yeah, why?" Hiyoshi responded after not giving the question much thought. He looked up from his half-eaten cheesecake, gray eyes meeting green.

'Were those eyes always so bright…?'

While scratching the side of his head, Kirihara absently stirred his spoon through his hot chocolate. "Ahh, no real reason. You got quiet is all."

He didn't respond yet, unsure of how to go about with this.

"I'm usually fine not saying much."

Now it was the other that had fallen quiet.

Hiyoshi snapped, "What?"

"That's kind of…" Kirihara started tapping his index finger against the table. "…well, I don't think I could do that. I like talking. Talking's fun."

There was a twinge of annoyance, deep in Hiyoshi's gut. He felt it climb towards his jaw where he wanted to grimace, except he shoved that back. What was with this feeling of dread? Again came that twinge. It was starting to itch.

What exactly was Kirihara implying? That not talking was boring? He couldn't tell. The more Kirihara beat around the bush, the more Hiyoshi's itch (now in the arm) needed to be scratched.

Admittedly, Atobe had brought up a good point. Conversations happened in cafés, and Hiyoshi was clearly failing at the moment. Nothing about this was like his hangouts with Choutarou, where they would be sitting in this same booth and his friend would be rambling on and on about whatever came to mind. Hiyoshi liked to listen, honestly. It was cathartic, relaxing.

This was the opposite.

He was actually… nervous.

Hiyoshi abruptly sat up straight, realizing that he had been caught up in his own thoughts again. Looking at Kirihara, he saw how distant the curly-haired teen was and how just as awkward. Fuck… what was he supposed to do?

"This isn't what I wanted."

With alarm evident in his green eyes, Kirihara looked as though someone had told him to run 10,000 laps. "A-Ah… I mean if that's what you think, we don't have to continue. It's the first date and all, and I like you and everything but if you think this is a mistake, then we don't need to-"

Hiyoshi couldn't form much of an expression. With how Kirihara was blathering senselessly, he couldn't pinpoint how he felt. He felt uncertainty, irritation, and … flattery? Well, Kirihara did say he liked him… but he was also thinking this date wasn't work out for some reason.

Before Kirihara became too wrapped up in his rambles, Hiyoshi reached out to touch his hand. There were probably less embarrassing ways to get him to shut up, but this was an action that didn't require the Enbu practitioner to slap the other in a public place. He never understood why slapping someone was such a normal thing in Rikkai.

"That's not what I meant."

Kirihara shut up and looked down at Hiyoshi's hand before meeting eyes with him again. "Then… what?"

His words caught in his throat. Er… how could he explain this without sounding like a sap? Hiyoshi still couldn't fully embrace Atobe's advice in being more open, but he had to try, right?

"This probably isn't the best first date."

Withdrawing his hand, Hiyoshi tried not to sound too dejected, but he certainly felt it. This was his first date, ever. Confessing to Kirihara was a huge step as it was, but following through with the date… well, it wasn't up to par with what he wanted.

"I can't really say," Kirihara began to say while laughing. "Can't compare when I've never been on a date until now."

He snorted. "That's a lame way to comfort me. There's no way."

"No way what?"

 _'…he wasn't kidding?'_

Hiyoshi narrowed his eyes out of doubt.

"This can't be your first date."

Kirihara shot him an incredulous look, almost offended. "It is."

 _'Seriously?'_

He felt the urge to shake his head at the other's words. How come he couldn't accept that? Hiyoshi struggled to see that as fact because well…

"You've gotten confessions before, right?"

Kirihara nodded his head.

"And you've met with these girls too?"

Another nod from Kirihara.

"…then you've been on a date with at least one of them, right?"

His anxiety became increasingly apparent with each question. Again, it just bothered him that Kirihara had girls who boldly admitted their feelings for him. There was bound to be someone who caught his eye. No way he could reject all of them and be okay with that.

"Nope."

Hiyoshi was stunned.

"Why does it matter?"

"Because…" He felt his cheeks go hot. "…you're… cute… you know, that's what girls say, even those from Hyoutei…"

There was no response from Kirihara and Hiyoshi was afraid to look at him. In the words of Shishido, this was lame; he was lame.

Eventually, the silence got to him and Hiyoshi allowed a small glance at his date. There was an odd expression that he would never expect Kirihara to pull. Never. He was smiling. ...sort of. It looked like he was trying not to, but why would he do that?

"...what?"

Kirihara jolted in his seat and let out an awkward laugh. "Ah, you see, you said something that surprised me."

He cocked an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of his behavior. Then again, this was much like the Kirihara he knew from afar. The curly-haired teen seemed a little hyper at times, sometimes unable to control his motormouth. He was surprisingly kinder outside of his demon mode; his violent personality substituted cluelessness. There were many confusing traits about him that the more Hiyoshi pondered and bothered with it, the more he came to like Kirihara.

"You think I'm cute."

A small strained grunt forced its way through. Hiyoshi remained tight-lipped for he didn't know how to respond.

"I said girls do."

"But you do too."

His suppressed smile was becoming undone. It was annoying. But was it worth being stubborn?

Slowly, Hiyoshi nodded his head. "Yeah, I do." The smile finally got to him, so he snapped, "What about it?"

"N-… Nothing." Kirihara said although it really looked like he was going to say something more. Abruptly, he stood up. "Let's get going."

Unsure of what the hell he was thinking, Hiyoshi felt he had no choice but to follow along. He left the money on the table and kept a few steps behind Kirihara. His mind raced with lots of worry. Was their date over? Did he mess up?

They continued walking in their awkward line before Kirihara abruptly - again - stopped at a street corner. He turned around, took off the scarf Hiyoshi had given him, and wrapped it around the blonde's neck. His hands rested on his shoulders.

"What are you doing…?" Hiyoshi asked. There was no venom in his tone; instead, he was actually scared. Maybe Kirihara was just making him feel better with the whole first date talk. Maybe Hiyoshi ruined dating for Kirihara in general.

Kirihara took his time responding, his green eyes studying the Enbu tennis player's face. Seriously, it was making Hiyoshi blush.

"I didn't want anyone to see you like this."

Before he could angrily tell him off, Kirihara kept talking. "You were blushing back there. You're pretty cute, you know that? I like it."

There was nothing Hiyoshi could say because the embarrassment and relief shut him up completely. All he could do was avoid eye contact with Kirihara and glare down at his feet.

"Yeah, this isn't what you wanted, but for a very first date, I had fun."

Hiyoshi could feel it. He could feel that dorky smile Kirihara sported when he enjoyed himself. That was enough to believe in him and that Kirihara wasn't going to ditch him because of a crappy date.

"I actually wanted to go on a walk. Walk… and talk. I wanted to get to know you better, and I thought a café was better."

Oh great, he was confessing more than he wanted to.

In response, Kirihara simply smiled. He turned around and glanced back with his hand outstretched for Hiyoshi to take. "Can't talk if you're behind me."

Finally, Hiyoshi met his gaze and couldn't help but smile back. He took his hand without a second thought and fell into pace with him.

The evening did end with a better first date than expected.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Ahahaha... yeahhhh, I'm sort of going back to writing? It's the same excuse as before: College and life got in the way. I've started a blog (link's in the bio) and posted this fanfic there cause why not? I'm hoping to accomplish more writing by updating every two weeks instead of weekly. Life is still affecting me pretty badly, so writing is more or less my crutch whether or not I get reviews.

So I commend you for anyone who's been anxious on me updating this. I've actually outlined the whole fanfic. The execution part of it all though... I hope I do complete this one for once.


	4. Chapter 4 - First Worries

**Chapter Four: First Worries**

"Good match." Kirihara said. Kirihara said with a kind smile.

"There's something different about you," Marui remarked casually.

He cocked an eyebrow. What was different about him? Kirihara didn't know what to say to that and instead, appeared confused.

The best response he could come up with was: "Things have been going well. That's all." He shrugged his shoulders, not finding this as big of a deal as Marui seemed to think.

"…well, in what?"

Kirihara didn't get the sudden interest in his personal life. It was actually creeping him out how interested his _senpai_ was. But he couldn't help thinking about Hiyoshi. _That_ was going well.

He remembered how they walked down empty sidewalk, hand-in-hand. Hardly anyone passed by so neither of them felt embarrassed to be showing affection out in public. They talked about whatever came to mind. It was relaxing and Kirihara got to know more about Hiyoshi.

"Just… everything," was Kirihara's response. And he knew it was bullshit.

Marui-senpai didn't say anything though and simply popped the green apple bubble he had blown up. When the silence between them got longer, he smiled and patted Kirihara's shoulder before walking off to meet with his Brazilian partner.

Again, Kirihara wondered what was going on with his _senpai_ , only to shake his head and push the thought aside. It was probably nothing.

He strode over to his tennis bag and glanced around in case Sanada was watching. Well, the vice captain was engrossed in an intense "rally" with the captain, so the coast was clear.

He slipped his phone out and quickly checked his notifications.

Just a missed call from his mom and there was nothing else.

Where did he go wrong? The teen wanted to ask that question out loud, but he had an idea of what his seniors would say. They would ask what the hell he did this time.

But why hadn't Hiyoshi texted? They had each other's phone numbers long before the date; they already had their date. Wasn't this the part where couples did… whatever the fuck couples did? Like texting?

Before he could dwell on this any longer, Sanada shouted at him to get his ass back on the courts.

"Yikes…" Kirihara hastily zipped his phone back in his bag. " _Hai, fukubuchou!_ "

When he hit the showers after practice, Kirihara hoped Hiyoshi was just busy with practice and school. That had to be why there was no contact, right? He thought back towards the end of their date. Hiyoshi's home was closer, so they walked to his doorstep. Kirihara remembered telling him to text him whenever now that they were a couple.

They were a couple. He strained against his self-doubt. They were a couple; it was official. They were.

He sighed as he turned the handle for the shower to turn off. Maybe he should call him. After all, Hiyoshi was the one who asked him out first. It was time Kirihara stepped up and made the first move, or rather, the follow-up.

"Akaya, you sighed," Renji stated in his usual matter-of-fact tone.

Quickly, he glanced around the lockers for anyone else and hoped it was just them. Kirihara really didn't want to deal with him; however, he responded back with, "So what?"

"Is there anything wrong?"

He was silent while he rubbed his curly hair with a towel. Over the years, Kirihara grew less and less… dense. Well, there was the hope. He became more aware of his seniors' antics since he was the _kouhai_ , but he never could figure out Renji sometimes.

"How was your date? You never mentioned it after you asked." Renji started going on and on. "It's been exactly three weeks, ten hours, and 21 minutes as a matter of fact."

Okay, that was borderline creepy, except Kirihara knew he meant well. He did come to his mentor for advice after all.

"It went well." He tossed his towel into his bag.

"But?" His _senpai_ asked after adding, "95% of the time, there always is a 'but' statement."

"But we haven't talked since then. _But_ we are a couple now. …right? That's how it works? I didn't get any rejection or was told that we shouldn't see each other anymore."

"Did you do anything weird?"

Kirihara looked hurt for a moment. "What would I do that's weird?" Before his _senpai_ could rattle off the list, he hastily added in, "Don't answer that."

He thought back to that night and how it started off awkward.

Hiyoshi was awkward, the complete opposite of himself. The guy was always so calm to the point it annoyed Kirihara back then. It was like that when they had their first tennis match together; Hiyoshi actually gave him a hard time even in Bloodshot Mode. The bastard could even smirk about it.

That made Kirihara smile to himself. Even before Hiyoshi asked him out, he had these little thoughts and feelings about him.

Back to recalling the first date though, where did _that_ Hiyoshi go? Kirihara believed he fucked up somewhere, and he never knew when he fucked up until told so. No one was going to ever knew how scared he was when Hiyoshi said, "This isn't what I wanted." Well, Hiyoshi probably guessed that when he started babbling like an idiot.

"I did babble somewhat." Kirihara admitted half-heartedly. "Think that's a problem?"

His _senpai_ shook his head. "Hardly. You babble all the time."

He couldn't tell if that was a compliment or an unfortunate fact; Renji was mysterious like that. Okay, if babbling wasn't the problem, then what was?

"If you're called cute, you can call them cute too. True or false?"

The motion of the data genius opening and then closing his mouth was enough for Kirihara to figure that was a bad thing. In his defense, he couldn't help it if Hiyoshi was blushing every so often. And he really was being cute.

"I guess that's it right there." The teen started packing up before it got too late. They had been talking here for a while.

"Akaya," Renji called out to him before Kirihara reached the door. "It's becoming evident that I'm not an expert in romance. Also, I'm not your partner. Take this into 25% consideration: It would be practical to ask if you're uncertain."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Kirihara broke out into a smile. "That should be easy."

* * *

No, no, this wasn't easy at all. Sending one fucking text was the hardest thing he had done by far, much harder than learning English grammar.

 _"Hey_

(・・)

 _was the first date that bad?"_

His first draft was done and ready to be sent. Pressing the send button would get this issue out of the way, except… he couldn't press it.

He had been lying on the couch in the living room, TV on and feet on the armrest. His late night show hardly registered his attention because this text was way more important. Maybe the question was too forward although that was Kirihara's purpose. There could be other ways to word this, so Hiyoshi wouldn't get mad at him.

"Maybe if I do it like this…" He tapped his fingers against the keyboard until his message now read: _"Hey, we are dating, right?"_ But then, his finger found the back space button and he erased it all except the greeting. "Okay… how about…"

"Are you watching TV or not?" His older sister stood over him, hands on her hips.

"It's on, so obviously," Kirihara said with a snort.

"Uh huh…" She seemed to leave until her hand snatched up his phone. Quickly, Ayane moved to the other side of the room before her brother could take the phone back. "Who's 'Mushroom Head'?"

"No one," he immediately responded and dove at her.

They ended up on the floor, and they began to wrestle. Height was in the older sister's favor in which she had her arm stretched out, phone in hand, while her free arm fought back her grappling brother.

There was a devious smirk on her face, only one that Ayane could pull off. "Is she important?"

Kirihara lunged forward so all of his weight was on top of his sister. "Not a girl," he growled out.

Making another desperate attempt for the phone, he succeeded this time and rolled off of Ayane. His breath was ragged. His sister always put up a fight even though he would eventually win.

"True, I wouldn't nickname a girl a stupid nickname like that," agreed Ayane after she sat up. "But that's something _you_ would come up with. So what's her name?"

He snapped, "There is no girl. Now leave me alone."

Kirihara got back on his feet and moved away from the pest of a sister. While keeping a cautious, glaring eye on her, he looked at his phone screen and wanted to tackle her down again.

The text ( _"Hey, what's up?_ ヾ(＾∇＾) _"_ ) had been sent.

"Shit…" He said under his breath.

Before he could type in a "My bad, my sister is an idiot," a response popped up. Kirihara's heart leapt out of glee and then sunk from dread. The conversation had been initiated; Hiyoshi had to be expecting a reply.

And with that, he dashed up the stairs while thinking of how to respond to the message: _"Tired. Atobe's increased training again."_

Kirihara could practically hear his annoyed sigh and felt himself smirk. After throwing himself onto the bed, he quickly texted back.

 _"Sooooo pretty busy, huh?_ (・・；) _"_

 _"Of course, we have school to worry about too."_

Response after response, they updated each other on whatever was going on at school and tennis. Kirihara soon realized that Hiyoshi took care in sending messages with the correct kanji and didn't allow for grammar or spelling mistakes. He noticed that the teen didn't use emoticons either. Niou said to use them because it would make him look cool, except Hiyoshi wasn't the type to try and be cool. And it worked for Hiyoshi.

It was as though Hiyoshi was actually talking to him through the small bright screen. He could hear every sigh and grunt along with imagining those eye rolls and head shakes. No emoticons needed.

He still didn't know if they were actually together though. Well, the conversation should be enough reassurance, right? Hiyoshi was surprisingly a fast replier. He didn't take hours like Sanada who (as rumor had it) wasn't good with cellphones nor like Renji who always had to write out long ass messages.

Time was running out for him after he checked the clock. His heart pounded at the thought of receiving rejection, but Kirihara _needed_ to know.

 _"Quick question"_

 _"What?"_

 _"We're boyfriends now, right?"_

It was the first time Hiyoshi didn't respond within a couple of minutes. Kirihara started panicking and didn't know what to do. Maybe the first date wasn't as good as he thought it was.

 _"You idiot, of course, we are."_

Red instantly flushed into the teen's cheeks and he grinned like the idiot Hiyoshi fondly called him. He wanted to play this off coolly though. No way his boyfriend was going to know how worried he actually was.

 _"_ (´꒳`)

 _Just wanted to see you say it."_

* * *

The following weekend, Kirihara waited in front of the theater for his boyfriend to arrive. He hummed his favorite song while nodding his head to the beat of it.

When Hiyoshi walked up to him, he punched the humming teen hard in the arm.

Kirihara yelped and before he could get in a word of protest, Hiyoshi took his hand and dragged him into the building.

"That was for asking that stupid question."

The pain in his arm disappeared almost immediately when Kirihara caught the blush on his partner's cheeks. No, he didn't mind getting punched after all.


End file.
